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12/14/2023
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R.I. legislators join White House event to promote gun violence prevention legislation
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 STATE HOUSE – Five Rhode Island legislators visited Washington, D.C., yesterday for a White House event to support state-level legislative efforts to prevent gun violence.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Dawn Euer, Rep. Justine A. Caldwell, Rep. Jason Knight, Sen. Pamela J. Lauria and Rep. Jennifer Boylan participated in the White House State Legislative Convening on Gun Violence Prevention, an event that brought together state legislators from across the country to strategize on gun violence prevention legislation they will introduce in the upcoming legislative sessions.
“Rhode Islanders and all Americans deserve effective action to address endemic gun violence in our country. We are very grateful to the White House for providing support and resources to those of us working hard toward this goal at the state level. Sharing ideas and strategies with our colleagues in other states and being connected to each other will help us succeed at passing strong legislation to reduce gun violence,” said Chairwoman Euer (D-Dist. 13, Newport, Jamestown).
At yesterday’s event, the lawmakers heard from Biden-Harris administration officials about what they are doing to advance gun violence prevention, listened to panels of fellow state legislators on investment in gun violence prevention strategies and gun safety policy, and participated in breakout sessions where they discussed the legislative agenda ahead with their colleagues from around the country.
“We are energized to continue the important work of ending gun violence in our communities after meeting with legislators from across the county who share our commitment,” said Representative Boylan (D-Dist. 66, Barrington, East Providence). “Every Rhode Islander deserves to be safe from gun violence, and we are committed to taking concrete steps toward this goal in the upcoming legislative session.”
At the event, the Biden-Harris administration introduced its Safer States Initiative to provide states with additional tools and the support they need to reduce gun violence and save lives. The plan provides lawmakers with key actions states should take, including efforts like requiring safe firearms storage and banning assault weapons.
Representative Caldwell and Senator Lauria, who have sponsored safe firearms storage bills in Rhode Island, said they are hopeful that the strong backing of this legislation from the Biden-Harris administration will help their bill achieve passage in the upcoming legislative session.
“Safe firearms storage is critical to public safety, and it is undeniably in the best interest of every gun owner, too. We are very interested in engaging with the support from the Biden-Harris administration and our colleagues across the country to help get safe storage legislation across the finish line in Rhode Island in 2024,” said Representative Caldwell (D-Dist. 30, East Greenwich, West Greenwich).
Said Senator Lauria (D-Dist. 32, Barrington, Bristol, East Providence), “Responsible gun owners already store their firearms safely to prevent tragedy. There is wide support for making safe storage a requirement, rather than an option, and we are very hopeful that with the backing of the White House and our peers across the nation, we can finally put this protection in place here in Rhode Island and other states.”
Among the legislation included in the Safer States Initiative is the banning of assault weapons, which Representative Knight (D-Dist. 67, Barrington, Warren) has sponsored for years, alongside Sen. Joshua Miller (D-Dist. 28, Cranston, Providence).
“While I’m proud of the steps the General Assembly has taken in the last few years to protect Rhode Islanders from gun violence, we need to finally ban high-powered weapons like AR-15s. These powerful killing machines are the preferred weapon of mass shooters, enabling them to take dozens of lives in mere seconds. If you’re asking what we can do to help prevent Rhode Island from suffering the kind of tragedy that our neighbors in Maine just experienced, banning assault weapons would be a major step in the right direction. We appreciate the support we are getting from the White House for these bills, and we look forward to pushing for them in the new session,” said Representative Knight.
The Safer States Initiative includes numerous recommendations for states including:
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establishing a state Office of Gun Violence Prevention;
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investing in evidence-informed solutions to prevent and respond to gun violence, including community violence interventions, Crime Gun Intelligence Centers and implementation of extreme risk protection orders;
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strengthening support for survivors and victims of gun violence;
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reinforcing responsible gun ownership, including by requiring safe storage of firearms and reporting of lost and stolen firearms;
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strengthening gun background checks, including by enacting universal background checks legislation and removing barriers to completing enhanced background checks; and
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holding the gun industry accountable, including by banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and enacting firearm-specific liability laws to ensure that victims of gun violence have their day in court. (Rhode Island enacted a large-capacity magazine ban in 2022, sponsored by Representative Caldwell and former Senate Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Cynthia A. Coyne.)
For more information, contact:
Meredyth R. Whitty, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-1923
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